A friend, who is much smarter than me, explained there are two kinds of hope, “Passive hope and active hope.”

“What’s the difference?” I asked.

“Passive hope is lazy hope. Hope without action.”

“Like standing in front of the TV hoping the Phillies would mount a two run comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning?”

My smart friend, who swears they’ve not watched a baseball game in thirty years, looked at me the way I look at my daughter’s Algebra homework, “Sure. Active hope is assiduous. It’s hope with action.

Partly because they’re smart and partly because they’ve dedicated their life to researching how to improve brain behavior and motor skills of people like me, people with progressive neurological disorders–I knew my friend was right. Sitting idle and passively hoping quickly weakens your spirit.

“Cool.” I nodded. Thought. Then asked, “So, what does assiduous mean?”

My smart friend cocked their head, “Weren’t you an English teacher.”

This week, I wrote seven “hope notes” to provide us with the assiduous hope my friend was talking about.

WOFO Ice Cream Cake

Dish:

9 x 13 Pyrex dish

Essentials:

12 ice cream sandwiches, 8 ounces of Cool Whip, 1 bag of Oreo cookies, 1 large bag of M & M’s, Chocolate Syrup

Steps:

-Layer the bottom of the dish with the unwrapped ice cream sandwiches.

-Coat the sandwiches with a layer of Cool-Whip.

– Crush the Oreo cookies in a bag until they are crumbles. Spread the crumbles across the Cool-Whip.

-Spread a second layer of Cool-Whip.

-Top with M & M’s

-Drizzle with chocolate sauce

Be well,

Jay

Book Sale Link

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One Line, One Love Episode 27: Writer’s Toolbox– Who is it for?

Description: In this episode, Gail and Jay discuss the importance of choosing, what Stephen King calls, “an ideal reader” for your writing. They talk about how when everyday writers choose a specific ideal reader, their writing becomes more inspired. They also discuss Gail’s new, soon-to-be-published poetry book Fit, Flutter, Float: A Playful Guide and who is the ideal reader for her fifth book. If you’re a writer looking to learn about why knowing who your ideal reader is so important, this episode is a must-listen!

OLOL is a unique listening and reading experience that will inspire everyday writers, who dream of writing, to pick up their pens and write one line at a time.

This podblog format (a hybrid of a podcast and blog) is for everyday writers who–like me–often need a creative boost, a scrap of encouragement, and practical advice to unleash the writer within. Each episode consists of five wide-ranging, writer-focused questions and a weekly writing prompt.

Please check it out! And please share with any writer friends or anyone in your life who has ever considered picking up the pen.

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Warm greetings to everyone who found me on the University of Pennsylvania’s Ataxia Clinic’s website! Thanks for stopping by. I have ataxia and though I’m not a doctor, I hope my words comfort, encourage, empower, and serve as good company on your journey.

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Jay Armstrong is a speaker and an award-winning author. Despite being diagnosed with a rare neurological disease, that impairs his movement, balance, eyesight, and speech–Jay presses on. The leader of the Philadelphia Ataxia Support Group, he hopes to help you find joy, peace, and meaning in life.